Drunken Gunplay
by clicketykeys
Summary: Extension of a scene at the end of the Coruscant storyline for the TOR Smuggler and Corso Riggs. Mild spoilers.


**Drunken Gunplay**

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><p>Once-again really-truly CAPTAIN Vacy Fiorst settled into her seat on the bridge of the Wonder with a sigh of satisfaction, looking out at the stars that seemed to float around her ship. <em>Her ship. <em>She propped her booted feet up on the console, careful to keep her heels an inch or two from the controls. Sure, they hadn't actually taken care of Skavak, and he'd probably be coming after them, trying to get "his" ship back, and Rogun the Butcher kept sending bounty hunters after them, and of course the situation between the Republic and the Empire was constantly threatening to flare into full-scale war, but hey!

_She had her ship back._

Vacy sighed again, blissfully happy. She had her ship back, and for the moment, life was perfect.

She heard the heavy clump of footsteps coming onto the bridge, and then a familiar voice. Pushing off with one foot, she twirled the chair around to face her visitor with a smile.

"Booy, Captain, life with _you_ is almost enough to get me missin' the good old days." Corso Riggs leaned against the archway between the bridge and the hall, grinning at her. "Ah, for Ord Mantell," he reminisced dramatically, "where sep'ratists were BAD, and guns were GOOD, and we could just run in shootin'."

One of the 'presents' that Skavak had left for them – albeit unintentionally – was a fully-stocked liquor cabinet. Vacy fully approved, especially as he seemed to share her attitude toward booze: the point is not to appreciate the 'bouquet,' but to make the floor wobble. She and Corso had dumped their armor in the ship's locker, changed into fresh clothes, and imbibed liberally; Risha just shook her head and went back to her console.

Vacy slipped Flashy out of his holster, twirling him around her index finger, and winked at her faithful crew member. "I could be persuaded into a little drunken gunplay."

"I'm not drunk! Mayyyybe a little tipsy. I could still bullseye an Imperial soldier at a thousand paces." Corso grinned, stumbling forward. "Why don't we have more **fun** on this **ship**? Back home when we needed a laugh, we used to run the rontos in circles, then see if they could charge us without falling over."

Biting back a laugh, Vacy shook her head. "Riggs, while there are a lot of things I hate about Skavak, I must say I'm pretty thankful he didn't bring a bunch of farm animals aboard my ship. So I'm afraid that _particular_ pastime may be out of the question." She stood, arching her back and rolling her shoulders lazily. "Got any other ideas?"

He blinked at her, and sauntered forward. "I've got a few, but uh... they might take a while to explain."

Her eyes widened. He was close enough that she would've sworn she could feel the warmth of his skin through the soft material of his tunic. Either that, or she was warming up herself, which was certainly possible given the ideas that had started flashing through _her_ mind.

Corso reached up, slipped one arm around her waist, and pulled her against him. "Care to let me show you?" he asked, his voice deeper. Softer, yet somehow more intense. Yet just as Vacy was about to respond, he let go of her and stumbled backward, bumping against the wall. "I'm sorry, I, I, I shouldn't have said that," he stammered.

The old battle cry 'Damn the torpedoes – full speed ahead!' was probably not intended for this particular situation, but that was what flashed through Vacy's mind as she moved briskly toward Corso. "Yes," she whispered hoarsely, pinning him between her and the metal wall, sliding her hands up his chest to lock behind his head. "Yes, you SHOULD have said that."

And she pressed her mouth to his, closing her eyes and melting against him. He groaned – whether in protest or surrender she didn't know, and didn't care. His hands drifted to rest on her shoulders, first, and then gently caressed their way downward, pausing in the curve at the small of her back.

Then, ever so carefully, they edged lower.

An ache curled at the base of her spine and she shivered, pressing tighter and tilting her hips ever so slightly. She felt his body respond, and her head spun and she swore the ship trembled beneath their feet.

But he gasped, and twisted away, his hands on her hips, holding her at arm's length. "It's not right, me propositioning you like some - some Hutt's dancer." They were both flushed, but he shook his head. "You deserve better. You deserve a man you can let your guard down with. Someone who'll take care of you for a change."

Annoyed (and intensely frustrated), Vacy stepped back, glaring at him. "The day I rely on anyone but _me_ to take care of me is the day I auction off this ship and take up knitting, Riggs," she snapped.

"Not in that sense, Captain." Corso sighed, running a hand over his face. "I'm making a mess of this. On Ord Mantell we – we had _rules_ about this sort of thing. With my fiancée, I got permission from her father first, then we had a few chaperoned dates between our families – "

Vacy interrupted before he could go any further. "No, you don't get to just slide right by a remark like that. You had a fiancée? And… hold on a minute." Her eyes narrowed as she thought back to what he'd just said. "_Did_ you say you went on _chaperoned dates?_ Corso Riggs… have you ever _been with_ a woman?"

His cheeks burned bright red, his eyes widened, and he began to sputter. "It – that's – that's not appropriate – you can't just – a gentleman doesn't discuss that sort of thing with a lady – "

Although it was kind of adorably hilarious, Vacy put a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "No – stop. You're right. You're right, and I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." She sighed. _Sure explains a whole lot, though._ "Look, neither of us is… at our best right now. Why don't we go ahead and call it a night?"

Corso took a breath, calming down a bit. "No, wait. I got to say this while I've got the courage up. I'm not gonna presume anything. But… I'd like you to consider letting me show you I can be something more. There."

All of the tension drained out of Vacy when she heard Corso bare his soul like that. She closed her eyes, her shoulders drooping. "Ah, blast it, Riggs… you're such a good man. And some day, you're going to make some lady real happy." She looked at him once more, smiling sadly. "I hope she knows how fortunate she is." And with that, she turned, heading off the bridge.

But he caught her by the elbow, turning her toward him. His eyes showed his hurt and confusion. "Vacy - _how_ can you kiss me like you did not _two minutes ago_, and then go an' act like there's nothing between us?"

Her treacherous heart fluttered, and Vacy reached down with her mind and crushed the sensation flat. She lifted one shoulder casually. Carelessly. "I told you not to fall for me. I'm sorry, Farm Boy… that's just the kind of girl I am."

She walked briskly down the hall to her quarters, and fortunately, was able to get inside and close the door before the tears began rolling down her cheeks.

[I like the changes I've made – I really think it does a better job of setting up "Bold Declarations," because it explains why he's attempting to be all smooth at the start of that one. And I think the idea of him being a bit of an innocent is consistent with his characterization – after all, working with Skavak, who's a serious player, Corso seems to have gone in the opposite direction in how he interacts with women.]


End file.
